Zereshk polo ba morgh

Name: Zereshk polo ba morgh
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 175 min
Yield: 4 plates
Cuisine: Persian
Ingredients: 1 kg Chicken, bone-in thighs and drumsticks, skin removed; 400 g Rice, basmati, rinsed and soaked 1 hour; 60 g Barberries, dried, picked over for stems, rinsed; 2 large Onion, one finely chopped, one thinly sliced; 2 tbsp Tomato purée; 0.5 tsp Saffron, threads, ground and steeped in 4 tbsp hot water; 1 tsp Turmeric; 50 g Butter; 1 tbsp Sugar; 4 tbsp Neutral oil; 0.5 piece Lemon, juiced; 500 ml Water, for the chicken, plus boiling water for the rice; 2 tsp Salt, plus 2 tbsp for the rice water; 0.5 tsp Black pepper

زرشک پلو با مرغ

Saffron chicken braised in a tomato and onion sauce, served on basmati jewelled with sour barberries.

Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: زرشک پلو با مرغ.

Start cooking

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 1 hr 30 min
Rest: 1 hr
Total: 2 hr 55 min
Difficulty: Medium
Spice: No chilli
Cost: Weeknight budget$8–16 USD · indicative, not a store price

Know it before you cook it

About

Zereshk polo is steamed basmati finished with barberries that have been warmed in butter with a little sugar and saffron until they swell and shine. Morgh is the chicken that goes with it: thighs and drumsticks braised with onion, turmeric, tomato paste and saffron until the sauce is thick and orange. The two meet on the plate, the sauce running into the rice. It is a dish of contrasts, sour berries against sweet rice against savoury chicken, and it looks like more work than it is. The rice follows the chelow method; a shortcut absorption method is given in the tips.

What you'll need

14 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.

0 of 14 ready

4 servings

Ingredients

Servings

Chicken, bone-in thighs and drumsticks, skin removed1 kg
Rice, basmati, rinsed and soaked 1 hour400 g
Barberries, dried, picked over for stems, rinsed60 g
Onion, one finely chopped, one thinly sliced2 large
Tomato purée30 ml
Saffron, threads, ground and steeped in 4 tbsp hot water2½ ml
Turmeric4.9 ml
Butter50 g
Sugar15 ml
Neutral oil59 ml
Lemon, juiced½
Water, for the chicken, plus boiling water for the rice500 ml
Salt, plus 2 tbsp for the rice water9.9 ml
Black pepper2½ ml

Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.

Steps

Step 1
Soften the chopped onion in 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy pot, 10 minutes. Add turmeric, then the chicken, and brown lightly 6 minutes. Add tomato purée, salt, pepper, half the saffron water and the water. Cover and simmer 50 minutes.
70 min
Step 2
Uncover and reduce the sauce 10 to 15 minutes until thick enough to coat the chicken. Add lemon juice and taste.
15 min
Step 3
Meanwhile boil the soaked rice in plenty of salted water 6 minutes until the grains are long and still firm inside. Drain. Put the remaining oil in a non-stick pot, add the rice in a mound, poke holes, cover with a towel-wrapped lid and steam on the lowest heat 40 minutes.
50 min
Tip: Fry the sliced onion in a little oil until crisp while the rice steams, for the top.
Step 4
In a small pan melt the butter. Add the barberries and sugar and warm gently 2 minutes until they plump and glisten. Stir in the rest of the saffron water. Take off the heat at once.
3 min
Watch: Barberries burn and turn bitter in seconds. Low heat, short time.
Step 5
Pile the rice on a platter. Spoon the barberries and their butter over the top, add the crisp onion. Serve the chicken and its sauce alongside.

Nutrition

Per serving · estimate

Calories: 849 kcal
Protein: 82.8 g
Carbs: 52.8 g
Fat: 32.4 g
Saturated fat: 10.3 g
Fibre: 3.5 g
Sugar: 15.3 g
Sodium: 1471 mg

Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.

Allergens

Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.

Milk

Gluten-free
Nut-free

Adapt this recipe

The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.

Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 13 November.

Substitutions

Barberries → Dried cranberries soaked in lemon juice
Sweeter and softer. Cut the sugar out entirely.

Tips

Shortcut rice: cook the rinsed basmati by absorption, 1 part rice to 1.5 parts water, then fluff and add the barberries. You lose the tahdig but save half an hour.
Rinse barberries in a sieve and check for grit and stalks. Cheap packets have both.

History & culture

This is Iran's wedding rice and the dish that gets cooked when guests are coming. It is on every Persian restaurant menu and in most home repertoires for Fridays. The scattered red berries make it a celebration plate for Nowruz and family gatherings.

Polo, rice cooked with something folded through it, is a Safavid court tradition. Barberries grow wild and cultivated in Khorasan in the northeast, which supplies most of Iran's crop. The chicken and tomato braise is a 20th-century pairing as tomato paste became a pantry staple.

Traditional — Some cooks fold the barberries through the rice during steaming; here they go on top so they stay bright and whole.

Provenance: Editorial adaptation.

Questions about this recipe

Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.

How long does Zereshk polo ba morgh take?

2 hr 55 min all in — 25 min prep, 1 hr 30 min cook, 1 hr rest. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.

How many does it serve?

The recipe is written for 4 plates. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.

How hard is it?

Medium.

How spicy is it?

No chilli.

What allergens should I watch?

This recipe is labelled for Milk. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.

Does it fit a diet?

The published recipe is labelled Gluten-free, Nut-free.

8 more questions

What does it cost to cook?

Weeknight budget — about $8–16 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.

What equipment do I need?

Dutch oven, Stockpot, Saucepan.

How much salt do I put in?

The recipe lists Salt at 2 tsp (plus 2 tbsp for the rice water).

How much sugar?

1 tbsp of Sugar.

What can I use instead?

Barberries → Dried cranberries soaked in lemon juice. Sweeter and softer. Cut the sugar out entirely.

What should I watch for?

Barberries burn and turn bitter in seconds. Low heat, short time.

Any tips from this recipe?

Shortcut rice: cook the rinsed basmati by absorption, 1 part rice to 1.5 parts water, then fluff and add the barberries. You lose the tahdig but save half an hour. Rinse barberries in a sieve and check for grit and stalks. Cheap packets have both.

Can I use an air fryer?

This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.